I have always loved reading more than the average person. As a kid, I'd read 3-5 books a week (only child problems), but somewhere along the way with high school and college that dwindled down to maybe one a month. BUT, this year I've decided to jump back in head first. It may not be many compared to a lot of book bloggers out there, but the first three months of 2016 have treated me pretty well. As you'll see, there were some I loved and some I hated, but it's a great feeling to be back at it.

Here's a peek at what I read:

1. HELTER SKELTER by Vincent BugliosiRating: 5/5 // GoodreadsTrue Crime is one of my favorite book genres and this book, boasting "#1 Best True Crime Best Seller of All Time," did not disappoint. Written by the prosecuting attorney on the Charles Manson case, this book goes into detail about the murders, the investigation, and the trial of Manson and his counterparts. Bugliosi is BRILLIANT and spares no details in telling this horrific story.

2. THE HATEFUL EIGHT - A Screen Play by Quentin TarantinoRating: 5/5 // GoodreadsTarantino is one of my favorite directors, and having never read a screenplay before this one, I knew his had to be my first. This story takes us back to the end of the Civil War, where we find two bounty hunters, a fugitive, and a sheriff trapped in a stagecoach stop with four unfamiliar faces. As the approaching blizzard traps them inside, we see how hateful each of these eight characters are... I recently watched the movie and was amazed at how well I was able to envision the scenes playing out just through Tarantino's depiction.

3. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula HawkinsRating: 2/5 // GoodreadsI struggled with this novel because has been so highly reviewed - but I just couldn't get into it. The plot-line of the story was intriguing, but I have a hard time with books where each character is just. so. frustrating. I found the main character, Rachel, pathetic and hard to listen to. Granted, I'll probably watch the movie when it comes out anyway...

4. HORRORSTOR by Grady HendrixRating: 1/5 // GoodreadsI was sucked into getting this book based on it's AMAZING packaging - meant to look like an IKEA catalogue (I live for IKEA). Luckily, by "getting this book," I mean I borrowed it from the library. This book was all over the place. I could kind of get into it at the beginning, but at the end it all fell apart and that completely ruined it for me. I guess this is the reverse application of "don't judge a book by its cover."

5. THE DEEP by Nick CutterRating: 1/5 // GoodreadsSimilar to HORRORSTOR, this book started off pretty good, but around 3/4 way through it started to fall apart. The book starts off in a world plagued by a disease that makes people forget things - small things at first, but then more important things... like, you know... breathing. So, the main character heads into the Marianas Trench to help his brother uncover a cure - this seems interesting right? Too many things are taken too far, unnecessarily played out, or completely ignored. I hate to say, but by the end, I was skimming entire paragraphs.

6. FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray BradburyRating: 4/5 // GoodreadsSomehow, this is one of those classics I never had to read in H.S. I sometimes struggle with getting into classics, but I'm especially glad I made it through this one. I loved the internal dialogue and mental journey of the protagonist, Ray Montag.

7. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha ChristieRating: 5/5 // GoodreadsThis was my first Agatha Christie novel, and I completely fell in love. Find my complete review here.

8. DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS by Liliana HartRating: 3/5 // GoodreadsConfession: I always keep quick, light-hearted reads on my Apple iBooks app so that I can have something to read if I'm waiting around somewhere without a book. This was much what you expect in a mystery book - although, I didn't figure out who "did it" until about a chapter before it was revealed!

9. UNDER THE DOME by Stephen KingRating: 5/5 // GoodreadsThis book quickly made it into my Top 5 Favorite of ALL TIME. I read this book after watching the entire tv series and they almost have to be treated as two completely different stories. As expected, I liked the book more than the tv show. Stephen King's writing has a way of physically effecting you like no other. Regardless of its size, I can see myself coming back to this book many times in the future.

10. WHISKEY REBELLION by Liliana HartRating: 2/5 // GoodreadsThis was another iBooks read. Though I found the main character incredibly frustrating and annoying, I still got sucked into reading the whole thing. Among a few other flaws, the ending was completely unbelievable. Sadly, I think I'll be moving away from Hart for my iBook reads in the future.

Last year, I read less than 10 books in the entire year (*shame* I was busy with work, ok??), so at this rate I'm excited to see what the next three months hold for me! Can we beat Q1? I think so.